


After The War

by LightFromTheShadow



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Austro-Prussian War, Drabble, Fluff and Angst, Heterosexuality, Historical Hetalia, Implied Sexual Content, Male Homosexuality, Multi, Sexual Content, World War II, idek, lots of angst basically, references to Nazism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-10
Packaged: 2018-03-11 11:11:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3325376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightFromTheShadow/pseuds/LightFromTheShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PruAus. They're always fighting each other, dancing in circles, lunging in and then leaping back out, winning some, losing some, injuring and receiving wounds equally. It's a game they play. But after the wars, when it's all over, what could possibly be left?</p>
            </blockquote>





	After The War

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Historical PruAus cause I love this ship so much. Focuses in the beginning on the Austro-Prussian War, mainly right after the Battle of Königgrätz in early July 1866. The timing then fast forwards to two years after WW2. Short, angsty and fluffy, although there are some allusions to mistakes made during WW2. Anyways, yeah, basically just PruAus drabble. :P

_July 1866_

Austria's eyes snapped open suddenly, his chest heaving with a gasp, but he was otherwise completely still. He stared straight up above him, his breathing ragged, momentarily bewildered. Then the room came into focus, the lack of light finding only the edges of objects: the canopied bed, the high ceiling, the jumble of small sofas and the huge brocade curtains that were drawn against the darkness of the night outside. And there, beside him on the bed, under the covers, a slender woman with long chestnut brown hair slept, clothed in a thin white cotton nightgown.

Austria looked at her for a few moments, his lavender eyes soft, before he realized what had awoken him in the first place. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. A wave of pain washed over his whole body, and he moaned softly, involuntarily curling into a small ball. His breathing was hampered as a cold sweat broke out over his body as he waited for the wave of pain to pass.  _Oh god,_ he thought frantically, his heart at once freezing and skipping a beat,  _he's here._

The girl beside him shifted as she heard him moan in pain and green eyes slowly blinked open, catching little bits of light in the dark. "Austria?" Hungary murmured sleepily, sitting up slightly and looking down at the man. "What is wrong?"

Austria took a deep, calming breath as the pain began to subside and he looked up at Hungary. "Can't you feel it?" He whispered. Hungary stared down at him for a moment in confusion, her pretty mouth turning into a frown. Then she suddenly blinked in understanding as her eyes became hard.

"No…" She breathed, her hand reaching up to rub her head, flinching for a split second. "He's coming." Austria slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"In the morning," he said, looking at Hungary steadily, "I want you to go back to your home for a few weeks." Hungary stared at him in shock, her eyes wide, her lips trembling.

"No," she adamantly said, shaking her head. She reached out and clutched at the sleeve of Austria's loose cotton nightshirt. "No, I want to stay here and protect you."

Austria allowed himself a small smile, his stomach twisting at the thought of Hungary witnessing what was going to happen to him. "I need you to be safe," Austria said calmly, raising his hand and lightly cupping Hungary's cheek. "He wants me. I can't have you here."

"But…" Hungary's mouth paused in the middle of the word, her green eyes searching Austria's. He held her gaze calmly, trying not to show her the fear he was concealing right beneath the surface.

"Please,  _meine lieben,"_ he whispered. "First thing in the morning, before the sun rises. It will take a few weeks to be able to repel him again. It's not the first time, you know." Hungary bit her lip as she stared at him in worry. Then she heaved a quiet sigh and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against Austria's. Austria closed his eyes and let his arms encircle her waist as he pulled her against him, falling slowly backwards onto the pillows, Hungary on top of him.

She gently took Austria's head in her hands as she kissed him deeply. Then she broke away and looked down at him, their faces inches apart. "I'll do what you say," she murmured. "But only because you asked me to." She kissed him again and Austria tightened his hold on her as he moved them onto their sides so they were now facing each other. He took a piece of her hair between his fingers and brought it to his lips, lavender never leaving green.

"Thank you." Drawing her close again, her head resting on his arm and their legs tangled together, they both fell into a restless sleep. Austria succumbed to unconsciousness reluctantly, his heart dreading the coming of the sun even as his heart quivered in anticipation, the pounding in his head resuming.

_He's coming…_

_XXX_

Austria stood on the front step of his mansion and waved to the carriage that was quickly carrying Hungary away back to her country. The sky was a deep, early morning grey-blue as the day became stuck in that place between light and dark. He watched as the carriage disappeared down the road, shivering a bit in the slightly cool early morning air. He gazed up at the sky, straining his violet eyes to see the stars that were now slowly fading out of view.

 _How did we get here?_ He wondered as he slowly stepped back into his home and shut the door with a sigh. He wandered into his beloved music room and sat at his gorgeous grand piano, just sitting there, staring at the black and white keys.

War. War had happened. And Austria's world seemed to be closing around him steadily, a noose tightening around his neck as his empire stood on the brink of change. A noose that  _he_ had put there. It had all happened so quickly it seemed…

He didn't know how long he had sat there staring down at the white keys, motionless, the only sound being the steady ticking of a clock, but the next thing he knew he was being bathed in morning sunlight that streamed through the windows of the music room. He tilted his face towards the warmth and closed his eyes, relishing in it for a moment. Then he came back to himself. He straightened his shoulders and stood, making his way back upstairs to his bedroom to change from his nightshirt into a loose, white cotton shirt and black breeches. He splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up and then stared at himself in the mirror. There were dark bags underneath his violet eyes. He looked so tired…

He then made his way downstairs and forced a few pastries into his mouth, downing a cup of tea as well. He then paused in the entryway to his music room once again and stared at the ceremonial sword hanging on the wall. He slowly reached out and took the scabbard off of the wall, drawing the sword with a swift tug and holding it out in front of him, his feet moving automatically to balance himself.

He stared down the long silver blade to the tip, mentally imagining pointing the blade at  _him_ and watching him cower in fear before him. With another smooth movement he stepped forward and slashed through the air with the blade, the air parting and rushing away from the steel as Austria stepped into the music room.

He took a deep breath and slid the sword slowly back into the scabbard and gently placed it on top of his piano as he once again took his seat on the bench. He hovered his fingers overtop of the keys for a second, his eyes closing, trying to slow down his breathing. It would happen when it happened. He might as well play for however much time he might have left.

And so he did. Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn…they all spun from underneath his long slender fingers by memory, his body made pliant as his mind wandered into thoughts of days gone by: of fields of emerald green grass, snowy mountains in the distance, lakes caught in time, still like a mirror, a laughing face, eyes as green as the grass she sat on. But always,  _always,_ there in the background: a flash of white hair and ruby eyes, a manic grin and an unbound laughter that sent chills, not all unpleasant, up his spine. An echo of the past and a telling of the future, all in one thought that spanned hours.

He could name the exact moment  _he_ stepped through his front door, letting himself in as usual. Austria didn't cease playing, though he felt his back tense, his eyes squeeze closed tighter if that were possible. He knew when he entered his music room and stood a little ways behind him, staring at his back, unmoving and waiting for him to finish.

The last few tinkling notes of Chopin's  _Nocturne_ danced off of his fingers until they eventually faded away into a silence that was unbroken for several moments as Austria's hands remained on the keys. He slowly opened his eyes, a deep, quiet sigh coming from his chest as he lifted his hands off of the piano to fold them in his lap.

A pause.

" _Hallo Österreich_."

" _Preußen,_ " Austria softly replied, not turning around. "You have come." A soft chuckle sounded from behind him as he heard Prussia take a step towards him.

"Of course I came," he heard him say. He could just picture the wicked smirk on his face as he spoke, not seven feet away now. "I have come to claim what I have won." Austria didn't respond as he stared straight ahead. There was his sword, still lying on top of the piano. If he could only reach it in time… He knew it would still be useless. He felt Prussia come up right behind the piano bench, his front brushing Austria's back. He could feel his heat. "You have lost, Little Prince," he continued, his voice dropping in pitch. "I have won. It will all be over soon."

Austria's shoulder twitched as he felt one of Prussia's hands come to rest on his shoulder. Then Prussia's mouth was right by his ear, his warm breath tickling him and moving his hair. "Where is Hungary?" He asked, his voice amused. "Did you send her away like a helpless woman?" Austria gritted his teeth and suddenly stood, shaking off Prussia's hand and turning around to face him.

There he was. Looking very slightly tired and yet handsome in his Prussian blue uniform with the black Iron Cross and red epaulettes, with his shock of white hair and strange amber eyes that were gazing at him oh so mockingly. Austria glared back at him, his fists clenching at his sides, violet eyes blazing behind his glasses.

"Don't you dare mention her name," he said stiffly. "I sent her away because she would be in danger here. I would never let her get put in harm's way."

Prussia's eyes narrowed appraisingly at him as he took another step forward so they were now only separated by the piano stool between them. "You thought I would hurt her," he stated slowly, shaking his head. "She is my best friend. I would never hurt her." Suddenly, Prussia lifted up a black-gloved hand to gently touch Austria's cheek. "You however," he said, his voice dropping to a murmur, "I would love to make you cry."

Austria suppressed a shiver as his cheeks flushed, his violet eyes snapping dangerously as Prussia's fingers lingered on his cheek. "You haven't won yet," he spat out, yanking his head away from Prussia's reach. He drew back his hand and grinned wickedly at him.

"Give me another month,  _der schatz,"_ he confidently said, beginning to step around the piano bench, causing Austria to turn and begin to try and back away. "Less than a month and your boss will be begging for mercy." Austria gritted his teeth as he passed by his sword, his fingers twitching. He could reach out and take it –

"You know," Prussia said, almost conversationally. Austria paused in his movements at the change in tone. "One of the things that I'm going to make you do when we sign the agreement of your surrender is to give Hungary the same rights as you in your empire." Austria froze as his mouth pulled into a hard line. "Maybe then she wouldn't be as dependent on you, leaving you free to do…other things." That light in his red eyes made Austria shudder. His hand snaked out and grasped his sword, pulling it from its scabbard and holding it out in front of him all in one swift motion.

"Don't you ever  _presume_ to tell me how to run my empire," Austria growled, holding the sword between the two of them. "Don't  _dare_  tell me what is best for Hungary."

Prussia looked between the sword and Austria in amusement, his face stretching into a broad grin as the corner of his eyes crinkled as a loud laugh emanated from his mouth. "Kesesesesese," he roared, continuing to step forwards, forcing Austria to continue to back away. "My dear Austria," he crooned, grinning wickedly, locking his gaze with Austria's, uncaring of the sword pointed at his heart. "We are past the point of  _presuming_ now, I think."

Austria suddenly felt his back hit the wall behind him and he took a ragged breath.  _This was how it was always going to happen…_ He stared at Prussia as the other nation walked right up to him and with a flick of his strong wrist, sent Austria's sword flying from his hand to clatter away on the hardwood floor.

Austria felt Prussia's hand clutch the neck of his loose white shirt as the nation pinned the other one hard against the wall. He brought his face close to Austria's, so close that Austria was drowning in red.

"I have you now, Austria," he hissed. "Right where I always wanted you." Austria suppressed a shudder as he felt Prussia's other hand snake around his waist, pressing him against himself roughly. Austria felt lips once again at his ear and he had no choice but listen as there was nowhere for him to run. "Until my boss decides what to do with you," he whispered hotly into Austria's ear, "you belong to the awesome me and I shall do whatever I please with you as a reward for my hard work and my people's sacrifices. Are you in agreement,  _kleine Prinz?"_ With that, Austria felt Prussia's knee wedge his legs apart forcefully so he could push his knee up and rub against Austria. He gasped in surprise at the sensation, his eyes closing for a split second before he desperately tried to regain his composure.

But Prussia was grinning like a Cheshire cat, moving the hand on Austria's shirt up to firmly hold his chin, forcing those violet eyes to stare straight at him. "I'll take that as a yes," he whispered before he roughly brought their lips together in a heated kiss, Prussia forcing his tongue into Austria's mouth as he weakly tried to move away. But Prussia's grip was iron as his tongue took over Austria's hot mouth, eliciting small, desperate moans from the other nation who was still trying to wiggle away.

"Don't try to get away now," Prussia breathed between kisses. "Now that I've got you, I have no intention of letting you go." As his lips enveloped Austria's once more, he suddenly bent and hooked his elbow beneath Austria's knees and scooped him up into his arms. Austria squeaked indignantly, glasses askew and cheeks flushed as he pushed Prussia's chest.

"P-Put me down!" He demanded, his voice high and his eyes wild, his breathing erratic. Prussia, steadily walking up the stairs of Austria's home and into Austria's bedroom, glanced down at him without responding, his red eyes suddenly uncharacteristically emotionless as he gazed back up to Austria's large canopy bed where the night before, two people, a man and a woman, had made love.

Prussia threw Austria onto the bed as he began undoing the brass buttons on his uniform, his hands trembling in his haste to claim Austria. Austria in turn, shuffled backwards on the bed until he was perched on top of the pillows, his back pressed against the headboard as he watched Prussia slowly divest himself of his uniform.

He'd known this was going to happen. Hungary had known this was going to happen. This was what always happened. Austria had done something similar to this to Hungary when they had first joined and it had just  _stuck,_ something familiar and comfortable. And now here was Austria, having this same thing done to him in the place where he had had Hungary not too long ago. It was just wrong in so many ways. But this was how it went with nations. No love, no feelings. Not in cases like this. It was staking a claim, crowing out a victory for the world to hear. No emotions. And, of course, this wasn't Prussia's first time in this room.

Then Prussia was crawling towards him, only dressed in underpants, his toned shoulders and torso exposed to the warm air of the bedroom. His gaze was almost predatory as he paused in front of Austria and reached out with one hand, cupping his chin and guiding their lips together once more. Austria closed his violet eyes, sadness, hesitation and resignation overwhelming him as he submitted. Of course he submitted. What choice did he have?

He let Prussia pull him down until he was lying on the bed, splayed out on his back, gazing back up into red eyes as his breathing became erratic when Prussia moved his lips to his neck, kissing, licking, nipping, biting. Marking him. Nimble fingers made their way down and up Austria's shirt, brushing along the bare skin of his stomach. They were interesting hands, capable of many things. Callouses showed years of war and battle and yet the lightness of the long, clever fingers that mapped out his body betrayed those hands' knowledge of music – knowledge that Austria himself had given him.

Slowly, Austria was divested of every stitch of clothing he had, nothing hidden from Prussia's greedy gaze. Austria watched Prussia as he watched him, his amber orbs raking over Austria's body. Austria knew that he was imperfect. Centuries of wars and conflicts had marked his body with the scars of his nation. Though they might not be as numerous as Prussia's, his skin was still marked with the brands of possession and loss.

Prussia's red gaze hardened and he quickly bent his lips to Austria's nipple, biting it and making the other nation arch his back and cry out, his eyes squeezing closed. He felt one of Prussia's hands reach up and pluck his glasses from the bridge of his nose, tossing them off the bed where they landed on soft carpet.

Then he felt Prussia's lips come up to hover near his own. "Open your eyes, Little Prince," Prussia breathed against him. Austria slowly complied, his eyes cracking open to meet Prussia's gaze. He was staring down at the Austrian, their faces so close, a single movement would be enough to bring their lips together.

"Do you remember this?" Prussia whispered insistently, amber never leaving violet as Prussia's hand slid down the flat expanse of Austria's chest, over the small collections of scars, moving down his stomach to stop on the place between Austria's legs where heat was beginning to build. Austria gasped quietly as Prussia squeezed him. "Do you remember me?"

Austria stared up at the other nation, his mind hazy and jumbled. The white hair, the red eyes… His acquaintance, his ally, his friend, his brother, his lover, his enemy… This man. Why was it always this man?

"I never forgot," Austria choked out bitterly, his eyes filling with tears of confusion, self-loathing, desire and confliction. "No matter how many times I  _tried._ I never could. Not really." Austria reached up to place a trembling hand against Prussia's warm cheek. "Why do you do this to me?" The question was barely a whisper, barely existent. And Prussia didn't answer. He instead covered Austria's body with his own, their bodies joining for a few brief moments that lasted an eternity and, for one perfect instance, Austria had no questions.

_XXX_

It was evening now, the sun beginning to set outside of Austria's bedroom window, sending beams of orange and red light into the room, setting the room ablaze.

Austria lay under the covers in the shadows of the bed, the soft fabric comforting against his bare skin. Prussia sat on the edge of the bed, staring across the room out the window, a cigar held between his fingers as a spiral of smoke left his mouth and twisted up to the ceiling.

Austria watched him through heavy eyes, the front of his bare chest facing the sun, his bare back hidden in shadow, facing Austria.

He lay there in silence, his eyes roaming over the broad back and shoulders, the fingers that gripped the cigar. He let his eyes slowly close. He was in a lot of pain, truth be told, but not because of Prussia. No, the other nation had been almost reverentially gentle. This pain was the pain of the loss of his people, the slain on the battlefield. So many… He wanted to close his eyes and just  _sleep_ here for another century, just like this. Forgetting about everything: war, peace, music, want, guilt. Time stood still here. But, like all things, it could never last.

"You know…" Prussia's quiet voice broke the silence like a knife, slicing through Austria's thoughts. His voice was so pensive... "I hate seeing you with Hungary." Austria felt a small jolt of surprise rush up his spine before he sighed, pushing himself up into a sitting position and shuffling over to sit behind Prussia's back, leaning against him slightly.

"I care for her very deeply," he softly said, feeling the scars on Prussia's back rub against his arm.

"Love,  _kleine Prinz?"_ Prussia's voice was so uncharacteristically quiet that Austria froze against his back. "Do you feel love for her? Anyone?" But Austria never answered him. He instead sighed softly and pressed his lips to that strong, broad, scarred back.

_July 1947_

Austria stood in the wings of the  _Felsenreitschule_ the night before the opening of the Salzburg Festival, the third one since it had been cancelled that one time in 1944. He gazed out at the empty stage and huge auditorium, with the huge open arches in the walls where once, only a few years ago, soldiers of the Third Reich had stood, armed with guns in the shadows.

But that was over now. Finally.  _Finally._ Austria leaned against the wall, lost in his thoughts and memories, allowing his eyes to slowly close. He was so  _tired._ Nothing had ever been as hard as these last nine years under the  _Anschluss._ Locked away in the dark, mentally if not physically, a puppet state of the  _Führer._ The shame and the horror of those years, of what he had witnessed, what his people had done… He would never forget it. Never.

And it still wasn't over. Not really. He had been liberated from the Germans by the Allies but he still was held under suspicion. His sovereignty wasn't his just yet. But, it was better now. Now, only the ghosts could hurt him.

He heaved a shuddering sigh, turning his mind to the music that would fill this hall on the morrow. Austria and music. The two had always been synonymous. And he would cling to his music, if he couldn't cling to anything else.

He was suddenly aware of footsteps resounding down the stone hallway towards him and he slowly straightened, opening his eyes. There, appearing out of nowhere in the half light, was an all-too-familiar silhouette.

" _Hallo Österreich."_

 _"Preußen,"_ Austria softly responded as the man slowly approached him, his features becoming visible. And Austria saw how he flinched as he called him by his name.

"I am  _Preußen_ no longer,  _kleine Prinz,"_ he said with a small, bitter smile. "I'm now a multitude of nations, evenly distributed throughout Europe. My payment for my many wrongs I suppose."

Ah yes. The Kingdom of Prussia. Dissolved. Gone. Wiped away as if it had never existed. Those years under Germany's annexation, Austria had stayed with the two brothers. He had witnessed their bouts of bloodlust, frustration and gleeful victories against the Allies. He had sat there and watched. But during those years, he had seen Prussia dwindling, overshadowed by his younger brother, bits chipping off of him a little at a time until he was no longer the proud nation he once was. And then he had been dissolved by the Allies. He was no more.

"Why are you here?" Austria quietly asked. He hadn't seen Prussia since the testimonies in the courts the day before the official dissolution and the change that had already taken place in the man was startling. His broad shoulders were stooped, his handsome face tired and sad. This wasn't the same nation he had fought with so bitterly and passionately eighty years earlier.

Prussia's mouth quirked up into a ghost of his old smirk, though his red eyes remained still. "I'm free now," he said, endeavouring at a light tone. "There is no one to tell me what to do anymore. Completely free." And yet the tremor in his voice betrayed how completely meaningless those words were.

Austria didn't move a muscle as Prussia slowly approached him. His amber eyes never left the violet gaze as he finally stopped only a foot away, staring down at Austria. What was that expression in his eyes? Was he  _begging?_ For what? What did he want? Comfort? Healing? Austria was still trying to find those things himself. But then Prussia was leaning forwards and Austria suddenly found his shoulder supporting Prussia's head.

Austria stiffened against the wall as Prussia remained motionless.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly, staring straight ahead, his heart twisting painfully in him. "All of those years living in the same house…and you never once touched me. Why now? What do you want from me?"

"I wanted to protect you." Austria could feel Prussia's lips moving against the shoulder of his shirt. "I never wanted you to get involved so…so I kept my distance, hoping you would stay out of it. But…" A bitter laugh sounded from his lips, the breath hot against Austria's shoulder. "By then, my power was all but gone. I could do  _nothing."_ He straightened then and stared directly down at Austria, his red eyes serious in the dim lighting. "I am so sorry, Austria," he murmured, his voice cracking a little before he cleared his throat softly. "So sorry that I was not awesome enough to protect you."

Austria blinked up at him, taking a shuddering breath, feeling a hot sudden stinging behind his eyes. "I…I waited for you," he whispered. "Every single night. I don't know why I expected it…but I thought that maybe, it might…make me feel…" He trailed off, unable to go on, breaking his gaze away from Prusssia's.

Prussia let out an unsteady, forced chuckle. "And now here we are, at the end. You," he softly murmured, reaching up and touching Austria's cold cheek gently, Austria feeling a shiver run down his spine at the feeling of those strong but delicate fingers, "injured and broken. Me…" His hand dropped back to his side. "Me waiting to vanish and be forgotten. How did it come to this  _Österreich?"_

Austria found his body moving on his own as he reached up and cupped Prussia's head in his hands, forcing the other nation to stare directly at him. "Love,  _Preußen,"_ he whispered. "Love. Do you feel it? For anyone?" Recognition flashed through red eyes that searched Austria's face desperately, looking lost and confused. "Do you remember," Austria continued, gently rubbing Prussia's cheeks with his thumbs, "this?" He was moving by instinct now, as he slowly pulled Prussia's head down to his, brushing their lips together. Austria leaned back a millimetre, his eyes still glued with wide red ones. "Do you remember me?" This question was said quietly but with so much force behind it that Prussia immediately breathed out a quiet  _yes_ that sounded like a gentle sigh more than anything.

Austria took a shaky breath. "And I remember you," he said firmly. "And as long as I am remembering you, you cannot leave me. Not now. Because…" Austria's composure suddenly crumbled, his legs trembling beneath him, "because, there's no one now. There's always been someone by my side. Hungary…she has had her own troubles since our empire was dissolved. I am alone." But then Prussia's arms were around him, holding him upright, squeezing him slightly, his face buried in Austria's neck.

"Never alone, Little Prince," he whispered. "I will always be chasing after you. Always." Austria pressed against him, gripping the front of his jacket with grip like a vice.

"Love, Prussia," he whispered in the man's ear. "Love."

And there were no more questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations (I don't speak German XP)
> 
> Meine lieben - my dear
> 
> Hallo Österreich - Hello Austria
> 
> Preußen - Prussia
> 
> der schatz - sweetheart
> 
> kleine Prinz - Little Prince
> 
> Felsenreitschule - one of the theaters where the Salzburg Festival is held every year. Also happens to be the auditorium where the Von Trapps sing in The Sound of Music :)
> 
> Anschluss - the annexing of Austria by the German


End file.
